William f



{No Model.)

W. F, Z. DESANT. ELECTRIC RAILWAY SIGNAL.

No. 467,478. Patented Jan. 19, 1892.

M 2. @513 attomwi Ihvirnn STATES (PATENT Orricn.

IVILLIAM F. Z. DESANT, OF NEIV YORK, N. Y.

ELECTRlC RAlLWAY SlGNAL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 4667,4378, datedJanuary 19, 1892. Application filed September 26, 1890. Renewed November2'7, 1891. Serial No. 418,157. (No model.)v

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM F. Z. DESANT, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at New York, county of New York, and State of New York,have made a new and useful invention in Electrical Railway-Signals, ofwhich the following is a specification.

My invention relates, particularly, to improvements in electricalrailway-signals of the type known as block-signals, in which semaphoresor visual signals are located at the ends of successive blocks andelectrically controlled; and it has for its objects, first, thesimplification and certainty of action of signals of this generic type;second, the production of a waving or moving signal, which, whenactuated, will be more certain to attract attention.

In another pending application, bearing Serial No. 366,267, filed ofeven date herewith, I have described and claimed a system ofblock-signals in which semaphores are electrically controlled both inthe advance and rear of trains as they pass over a railway, said systemof semaphores being controlled by electric motors through the agency ofadvance and rear circuit connections actuated by the trains themselvesas they pass the ends of the successive sections or blocks.

The present invention is directed to an improvement upon the systemtherein disclosed, and it is much more simple, in that I avoid the useof the compound system of circuits and switch-magnets described in theapplication referred to, and am enabled to actuate or control thesignals both in the advance and rear, as the trains proceed bya muchsimpler system of electrical circuits and devices, as I will now proceedto describe.

Referring to the drawings, Figure l is a plan view of a double-trackline of railwayin which all of the trains pass in a single direction, asindicated by the arrows, the second or return track not being hereinshown. Fig. 2 is a similar view of the entire apparatus, showing a trainof cars entering block I and a second train of cars on block 2, theposition of the semaphores being shown in response to the action of thetrains.

E E are signal-posts situated, respectively, at or near the entranceends of blocks 1 and 2.

S S are balanced semaphore-arms geared each to an electrical motor M,located in a local circuit 6, containing an energizing-battery B. lhesemotors, semaphores, and immediate electrical connections constitute inpart the subject-matter of the other pending application above referredto, and need not be further described, except asI shallindicatc the modeof operation.

R R are parallel lines of rails electrically insulated from each otherin blocks and having their advance ends connected by conductors w w torelay-magnets h secured to posts E E, the function of said relays being,when energized, to actuate the armatures A and close the local circuitsor batteries B, as will be more particularly described hereinafter.

B B are signaling-batteries located at the junction of each pair ofblocks. These batteries B B are connected to the opposite rails R insets diagonally by conductors w, as clearly shown, the sets of railsbeing divided into blocks by insulated spaces and the length of thediagonal conductor 20' being such that an entire train of cars mightstand upon the track between the point where it joins the lower rail Rto the end of the upper rail R near the insulated section, thisinsulated section being sufficiently slight to permit a carwheel inpassing to electrically connect the ends of the rails, as will bedescribed. Each time one of the wheels of a train of cars 0 passes theinsulated joint between the upper set of rails the circuit from batteryB is closed as follows: By wire to, rail R, wire to to re lay-magnet Mby wire 20 to the return-rail R, and back to the battery through thecarwheel. This momentarily closes the circuit through the relay M andcauses the armature A to momentarily close the circuit of the localbattery 13 through the motor M, which immediately lifts the semaphore ashort distance. Instantly the circuit is broken and the semaphore againdrops. As each carwheel passes the insulated joint this waving motion isimparted to the semaphore, and the engineer is made aware of the factthat the track is clear throughout block 1, and this action continuesuntil the train passes beyond the point where the conductor to joins therail R, provided the train 0 is of sufficient length to fill the entirespace covered by the diagonal wire to. As soon as the train passes thisjoint the semaphore S immediately returns to danger, and should anincoming train attempt to enter block 1 the circuit from batteryB wouldbe short-circuited through the rails R and axles of the car-wheels ofthe train which is passing over block 1, so that so long as thepreceding train remains upon block 1 an incoming train would not affectthe semaphore S, and hence the engineer would have warning that a trainwas preceding him upon the same block. In a similar manner should therebe a broken rail in this block the signal will remain at danger.

In Fig. 2 I have shown one train just entering block 1 and a secondtrain just leaving block 1 and entering block 2. In the first block thesemaphore is in the act of being waived for the incoming train, thusshowing the engineer that that block is clear, While in block 2 a trainhas just passed the battery B, and the semaphore S, which was Waivedsuccessively during that time, has again settled to danger for the firsttrain coming from block 1, should that train reach block 2 before thetrain now on block 2 passes out and into block 3.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim,and desire to secure byLetters Patent of the United States, is-

1. In a block-signal system,a series of electrically-divided blocks, aseries of semaphores or visual signals, electrical conductors joiningthe blocks, and electromagnetic means for controlling local circuits,one at each signal, with batteries and electrical motors in said localcircuits, the motors being geared to the signals, circuit connectionsbeing had through the adjoining ends of one pair of rails and thecar-wheels as they pass successively over said ends, whereby the signalsare continuously vibrated or moved as the train enters each block,substantially as described.

2. A visual signal consisting of a movable part geared to an electricmotor located in a local circuit, in combination with a relay whichcontrols said local circuit and a trackcircuit closer which closes therelay-circuit and thereby opens and closes the local circuit each time aoar-wheel passes it, substantially as described.

3. A visual signal controlled in one direction by its weight and gearedto an electric motor adapted to raise or move it, in combination with abattery and a track-circuit closer having circuit connections through arelay with a local electrical generator having circuit connectionsthrough the motor, whereby each passing car-wheel causes the relay toclose and open the local circuit, thus causing the signal to bemomentarily moved,substantially as described.

4. A visual signal having electro-magnetic means for moving it in onedirection against a constantlyacting force, in combination withelectrical circuit connections made and broken or otherwise varied by apassing train, said circuit connections including a relay connected incircuit with a main battery and a local circuit controlled by the relayand controlling the electromagnetic means for moving the signal, wherebyit is caused to vibrate during the time that a train is passing into ablock, substantially as described.

WM. F. Z. DESANT. \Vitnesses:

GEO. H. STAYNER, Jr., A. V. HINEY.

